I'm a RDM. I'm used to carrying around 60+ pieces of equipment for a half dozen or more different gearsets everywhere I go.

But, I don't like it.

I don't like that Sh*t is situational.

I don't like that any item I get at this point is a macro piece that I will literally never see because it blinks on and off after the spell is cast.

I don't like that there isn't a sort of hierarchy of gear sets.

The only thing close to that is Salvage sets, yet still, I'm pretty sure for any job, someone fulltiming a salvage set and doesn't swap gear, and someone who has no salvage gear, but swaps their equipment all the time, the player with no salvage gear is going to do better. That seems, well that seems kinda stupid. (frustration with completing salvage gear aside, that's a different story). The "best" gear in the game is trumped by essentially being able to wear every other piece of gear in the game at the same time.

The thought that I can change my entire outfit, including jewelry, hats capes etc twice in a half second is ok for a game, but it sure isn't realistic. I know fighting dragons isn't realistic, but FFXI (and FFXIV) are more low fantasy than high fantasy, so a sense of realism is a little important.

I'd like to see gear done a little differently this time around. I think it's just fine to have gear that is genuinely good, better, and best. With new Best-er gear coming out with version updates/expansions obviously. With ways to customize gear to some extent. They are probably aware they were on the right track with the augment system. I hate to be the guy who keeps saying "WoW did such and such, you should copy it" but something like the socket and gem system, where armor has slots that you can equip specific gems to to give you stat bonuses was a good way to add player customization to gear, and you can still have super-omg-wtf-rare attachments. Call them crystals and it fits with the series, ****, call it materia and you pretty much just win.

I'm used to gear swaps in XI because that's how the game plays, but I think it should be toned down a bit next time around.

I'm a RDM, so having a gearset for casting, and a gearset for melee is expected, but I shouldn't be able to switch between the two while going toe to toe with the mob.